1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of emptying a container for the storage of fish, such shellfish, which are in the container together with water, the emptying taking place through a pipe provided in the bottom of the container, a medium being supplied into the container during emptying.
2. The Prior Art
Containers of this type, which may be made of plastics, are used for the ripening (maturing) of, e.g. shrimp. Typically, they have a size of 660 or 1000 litres and are emptied after ripening is completed simply by tilting.
For operational reasons, it is desirable to be able to ripening shrimp larger containers, e.g., containers having a capacity of 12000 litres. However, containers of this size are not easy to handle in connection with emptying where the container is to be tilted. It would therefore be an advantage if the container could be emptied through a pipe provided in the container. However, it has been found that, with such large containers for the storage of shrimp in water, emptying through the pipe will rapidly result in clogging, as the liquid will leave the container faster than the shrimp.
A container having a pipe at its bottom is known from DD Patent Specification No. 61451. In this method, a mixture of fish and water is pumped from a pipe located at the bottom of the container vertically upwards to a conveyor belt above the container, where water is conveyed back to the container, while the fish are transported further on.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a method of emptying the initially mentioned large containers, which requires fewer installations, while maintaining a minimal risk of clogging.